


Bird in a Golden Cage

by hugs_and_angst



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Childhood, First Meetings, Gen, Idk I really just took the flashback from ep.8 and ran with it, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Shippy Gen, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, like a tiny mention of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:08:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29853039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hugs_and_angst/pseuds/hugs_and_angst
Summary: “Tadashi,” Ainosuke repeated, as if trying to taste that name on the tip of his tongue. He liked it. It sounded like the name of someone he could trust.One summer evening, Shindo Ainosuke makes an acquaintance.
Relationships: Kikuchi Tadashi & Shindo Ainosuke | Adam
Kudos: 36





	Bird in a Golden Cage

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the childhood flashback in episode 8 and couldn't fall asleep in peace until I wrote this fic so,, yes. here we go now |D

It was cold, compared to the warmth of the house behind him. The uneven natural stone of the terrace beneath him was uncomfortable to sit on. Ainosuke didn’t like being outside, but when his aunts wished for him to step away, who was he to talk back to them?

His arms hurt, a dull, throbbing pain that was so, so familiar, and he took a deep, shaky breath of the evening air. It was okay, he reminded himself. Even if it hurt right now, it was proof that he was loved.

He just wished he had something to do out here. There was only so much time you could spend watching the clouds float above you – so much more freedom than you could ever dream to achieve.

Freedom, huh…

“...Ainosuke-sama?”

If it wasn’t for how small the voice sounded, he would’ve jolted in surprise at the very least, instead turning around to face whoever had called out to him. It turned out to be a young boy – barely his age, maybe a couple of years younger – with short raven hair and dark, green eyes that almost looked gray in the twilight. Ainosuke vaguely recalled seeing him around the property sometimes; if he recalled it correctly, he was the son of some of the Shindo family’s servants, although Ainosuke didn’t know which family or even what the boy’s name was.

“What are you doing out here all on your own?,” the boy asked. “It’s unusual to see you here.”

Ainosuke glanced at him, trying to judge his intentions. He didn’t seem like a bad guy, but you could never be careful enough, right? “...Just felt like going out once in a while,” he finally brushed him off. An easy, casual white lie.

The boy looked doubtful, but (luckily) didn’t question his answer. “But isn’t it boring, just sitting there? You don’t look like you’re having fun.” He came a few steps closer, before interrupting himself, eyes wide. “A-ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that– I’m probably being presumptuous–”

He was a weird guy, Ainosuke thought. But he was... interesting, in a way. “No, it's okay,” he assured him. “...It _is_ kind of boring.”

The boy stayed in place, fidgeting a little like there was something he wanted to say, but wasn't sure how to say it. 

“...What's your name?,” Ainosuke added after a brief pause, if not just to fill the awkward silence that was threatening to take over.

“Tadashi,” the boy replied with a small smile. “Kikuchi Tadashi.” (He looked like he was really happy about the question and trying to hide that joy out of respect, and to his own surprise, Ainosuke almost wished the other didn't show as much etiquette.) 

“Tadashi,” Ainosuke repeated, as if trying to taste that name on the tip of his tongue. He liked it. It sounded like the name of someone he could trust.

“If... if you're bored, I might have a suggestion,” Tadashi started. “Ainosuke-sama, do you know how to skateboard?” 

Ainosuke blinked, a little bit dumbfounded by the question. “No, I don't...” If he was being honest, he barely knew what a skateboard even was – it wasn't like he needed that knowledge for his education, so why would he?

“Wait a moment!,” Tadashi called out, already dashing around a corner of the building before the older boy could return anything. Ainosuke looked after him, almost suspecting that he’d realy just take the opportunity to get away because they didn’t have any business talking to each other, did they? But before he could continue that thought ( _think about your different ranks-_ ), Tadashi returned, a long wooden board with four wheels under his arm. It looked old and well-used – the edges looked rough in some parts, and Ainosuke could just barely make out the remains of a colorful design under all the scratches on the bottom of it.

“It looks like you use it a lot,” he couldn’t quite help but comment.

“Ah, yeah,” Tadashi laughed, a quiet, soft little thing that made Ainosuke’s chest tighten in a weird way. “I got it about three years ago and I try to practice whenever I can, so I guess it looks a bit beaten up.” He placed the board on the ground, easily getting on to go a couple of meters and even slide in a small jump before doing a turn and getting back to Ainosuke. It looked… natural. Like he’d never done anything else in his life.

Part of Ainosuke admired itm and a smaller – but not any less prominent – part of him thought _I want to get better than him some day_. Perfectionism, a trait he had earned from his family’s love for him.

“Can you…” He hesitated, briefly, imagining what his aunts would say if they found out about him participating in such lowbrow activities. (Then again, they didn’t have to find out, did they?) “Can you teach me how to do that?”

Tadashi almost seemed to be surprised to be met with genuine interest, but it was easily overshadowed by happiness about sharing something he loved. “Yeah! You might need a bit of practice to do jumps and stuff, but I will try my best to teach you, Ainosuke.sama!”

...In all fairness, it turned out to be harder than Ainosuke had imagined.

He was smart and adaptable – with academics, he was used to learning things easily. With skateboarding, that was an entirely different story.

Getting on the board was difficult, and the first few times, it felt so wobbly that he had to take Tadashi’s hands just to stay on his feet. (Tadashi’s hands were soft and warm, and it should’ve been weird how safe Ainosuke felt holding on to someone who was younger and smaller than him.)

But when he finally managed to go a small distance without holding on to the younger boy, it felt exhilarating. It wasn’t more than five or six meters, and yet, somehow it made him feel like he was on top of the world.

Someone like him, whose only task it was to carry on his family’s legacy, wasn’t made to be free.

But maybe, this was the next best thing.

(It did feel like it was.)

**Author's Note:**

> ~~this probably isn't too canon accurate but shhh~~
> 
> ( [tumblr](https://onigiriico.tumblr.com) | [twitter](twitter.com/onigiriico) )


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